Today is Thursday, May 16, 2024.
It is the 137th day of the year.
229 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Apparently arachnid-smugglers are a thing. Details in HIT LIST.
BENNY BLANCO is ready for kids and SOPHIE TURNER hits back at rumors about her parenting. More in SHOWBIZ.
A “Golden Bachelorette” has been cast and JOHN CENA will host Shark Week. Details in CASTING CALL.
There’s been a mass exodus at Yeezy. More on that in KARDASH.
A cosmetics company offers MEGHAN MARKLE big, easy money. Details in ROYALS.
###
HIT LIST
The Prime Minister of Slovakia is “fighting for his life” after a gunman shot him five times on Wednesday. Government officials said Robert Fico spent more than three and a half hours in surgery after heading to the hospital.
The interior minister said in a press conference that the shooting was politically motivated. The unnamed gunman reportedly made the decision to attack after one of Fico’s political colleagues won the nation’s recent presidential elections.
On an even more ominous note, that same interior minister said, “We are on the verge of civil war. The assassination attempt on the prime minister is evidence of this.” [via Politico]
###
American Museum of Natural History curator and arachnid expert, Lorenzo Prendini, was arrested in Istanbul this week for attempting to smuggle around 1,500 poisonous spider, tarantula and scorpion samples out of the country.
Some of the venom he tried to smuggle has a market value of about $10 million.
Prendini, who says he has permits for the samples, has since been released without charge. No word on if he is still in the country, however. [via AP News]
###
When a California woman, 22-year-old Miriam Webb, got a new job at Chick-fil-A last year, she went viral on TikTok for posting “menu hack” videos — ways to create unique or off-menu items, or enhance existing ones.
When she reviewed the company’s new Cherry Berry drinks, her post reached more than 3.6 MILLION views. Local media approached Chick-fil-A for comment. In a shortsighted move, they told her to cut out the videos while she’s in her work uniform or clocked in at the location.
A few weeks later, Webb announced the change and apologized to her fans. That’s when Shake Shack swooped in and signed Webb to an influencer deal. Her first video promoting the rival company racked up nearly 4 MILLION views and they have a long term partnership in the works. [via New York Post]
###
An Iowa woman is begging her city government to allow an exemption to local law so she can keep her emotional support goose, Blue.
Angel Queener says she’s four years sober and relies on Blue to manage “PTSD, bipolar, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder.” But the city of Chariton bans keeping geese as pets, which it considers livestock.
Queener says she would sell her house and move before being required to part ways, who she credits with maintaining her sobriety.
Reps for city hall did not respond to requests for comment from local media. [via KCCI]
###
IDIOCRACY: In a surprise morning video, President JOE BIDEN answered DONALD TRUMP’s call to debate ahead of the November election. Biden’s terms included an acceptable list of networks to host, no audience, and that microphones be cut off when it isn’t the other guy’s turn to speak.
In a dueling statement, Trump agreed to show up wherever he’s told to go in order to debate the incumbent.
Within hours, both CNN and ABC News announced offers to host these debates, the first on June 27 and the second on September 10.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Typically, a special commission organizes and negotiates debate terms between the nominees. This will be the first time two major party nominees debate before even their respective nominating conventions.
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 HAT TRICK: The three major exchanges closed at all-time highs on Wednesday. The DOW rose 349 points (0.88%) to close at 39,908. The S&P increased 61 points (1.17%) to close at 5,308 and the NASDAQ increased 233 points (1.4%) to close at 16,744.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.60 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN surged on Wednesday, up nearly 7% and trading around $65,800.
🛩 There were more than 4,625 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 200 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $393 million jackpot or a $181.5 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
BENNY BLANCO is ready to settle down and start a family with girlfriend SELENA GOMEZ.
Opening up about his future on “The Howard Stern Show,” the music producer shared just how serious he is about the actress.
No word on whether or not a proposal is happening soon. [via TMZ]
###
ANGIE HARMON is suing the guy who fatally shot her dog.
Remember, the actress claims Instacart delivery driver Christopher Anthony Reid shot and killed her dog outside her home in April. He says the dog was aggressive toward him and fired the shot in self-defense.
Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Harmon states that the guy shouldn’t have been on her property with a gun to begin with, and is suing Instacart for trespassing, conversion, negligence, negligent hiring, invasion of privacy, confliction of emotional distress and more. She is seeking $25,000 in damages. [via Daily News]
###
SOPHIE TURNER is hitting back against claims that she isn’t a good mom.
Speaking to British Vogue, that actress says that rumors of her being a “partier” are not true.
“It hurt because I really do completely torture myself over every more I make as a mother -- mom guilt is to real. I just kept having to say to myself, ‘None of this is true. You are a good mum and you’ve never been a partier,’” she explained.
Turner shares two daughters with her ex-husband JOE JONAS. [via British Vogue]
###
SEAN COMBS appears to have posted a cryptic message relating to his current state of affairs on Instagram.
The post reads, “Time tells truth.” He captioned it simply, “Love.”
Combs didn’t turn off the comment section, which quickly filled with support and hate messages. [via Instagram]
###
WANDA SYKES may be recognizable to some, but to others she looks more like a certain musician.
During her recent appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Sykes revealed that she has been mistaken for LENNY KRAVITZ -- twice!
Both times the mistake happened in New Orleans, which Sykes explained off because of the drinking people do on Bourbon Street. [via People]
###
ISLA FISHER is speaking out about the love and support she has received since announcing her divorce from actor SACHA BARON COHEN.
In an Instagram post, Fisher wrote, “Thank you for all of the kindness and support,” alongside a photo of her sitting outside with a glass of wine.
News broke in April that the couple filed for divorce last year after 14 years of marriage. [via Page Six]
###
CASTING CALL
“Golden Bachelor” alum JOAN VASSOS will be the first “Golden Bachelorette.”
Fans will remember the 61-year-old from when she competed to win “Bachelor” Gerry Turner’s heart.
The “Golden Bachelorette” is set to debut this fall on ABC. [via Page Six]
###
JOHN CENA will host this year’s Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
Specials set to air during the week include, Part 2 of “Belly of the Beast,” “Monster Hammerhead: Species X,” and “Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood.”
The event kicks off on Sunday, July 7. [via Deadline]
###
Netflix announced Wednesday that it is officially moving forward with “Happy Gilmore 2.”
ADAM SANDLER will return as the titular character -- who uses a hockey stick as a golf club.
While no other details have been shared, CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD, who played Gilmore’s nemesis Shooter McGavin, hinted that he may return for the sequel. [via THR]
###
“Yellowstone” star COLE HAUSER insinuated that fans could possibly see a spinoff show surrounding his character Rip Wheeler and KELLY REILLY’s Beth Dutton.
Speaking to Country Living about the current status of the show, Hauser explained that creator TAYLOR SHERIDAN has a lot of ideas in the works -- one of them possibly being a series about Rip and Beth. [via Country Living]
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
YE’s right-hand man MILO YIANNOPOULOS is leaving Yeezy.
Speaking to TMZ, Yiannopoulos said that his decision to resign is due to Ye’s plans to create “Yeezy Porn.”
His exit comes amid a mass exodus from the company, though no word on whether all of those resignations were also due to the porn plan. [via TMZ]
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
With buzz about a “Suits” reboot in the works, MEGHAN MARKLE could get a big payday to return in character -- but not from the network.
Instead, German cosmetics company Biotulin -- a reported favorite of Markle’s -- said it will shell out $1 MILLION per second of screen time she gets in any reboot.
In a social media message addressed to “Suits” producers, Biotulin said, “We are again offering you $5 million for a 5 sec appearance of Meghan Markle with our biological Botox gel BIOTULIN in your TV series ‘Suits,’” adding that they’ve formally extended the offer to Markle’s agent. [via Express]
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
Horse Rescue Day
Global Accessibility Awareness Day
National Love a Tree Day
International Day of Living Together in Peace
Wear Purple for Peace Day
National Waiters Day
International Boys’ Day
International Day of Light
National Mimosa Day
National Notebook Day
National Piercing Day
National Barbecue Day
National Sea Monkey Day
National Biographers Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1770 - Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste are married. He was 15, she was 14.
The marriage was politically motivated. Louis and Marie were cousins, and their union consolidated the royal family's power.
Before the wedding, Marie Antoinette had a dentist try to straighten out her teeth using an archaic form of braces. The apparatus included a metal ring with holes for thin wires, used as leverage to physically pull teeth into place.
But she still wasn't attractive enough for Louis. Even after their marriage, they did not consummate the arrangement. It took another seven years for them to do the deed.
###
1868 - Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by a margin of one vote. It was the first impeachment trial of a sitting U.S. president.
House Republicans cited eleven high crimes and misdemeanors against Johnson. He was accused of dismissing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without the Senate's Approval. Under the Tenure of Office Act, the Senate should have dismissed a cabinet secretary.
Thirty-five senators voted to convict the president, but nineteen dissented, bringing the Republicans short one vote.
In 1887 the Tenure of Office Act was repealed, and later Supreme Court rulings vindicated Johnson's actions: a 1926 case supported the president's ability to remove his appointments without consulting congress.
###
1918 - Congress passes the Sedition Act, which forbade "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the government or its army.
It was passed as an amendment to the Espionage Act, approved in 1917.
It was designed to marginalize peacenik protesters as the United States engaged in World War One. The legislation gave the government tremendous power to squash any dissent. Those found guilty faced $10,000 in fines and up to twenty years in prison.
After the war, congress repealed the act in December 1920.
###
1929 - At a quiet gathering at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in front of 270 people, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences director Douglas Fairbanks presented the first Academy Awards; handing them all out in fifteen minutes.
There was no Best Picture Award, but rather one called Most Outstanding Production and its cousin, Most Artistic Quality of Production.
Other categories:
Best Director, Comedy Picture
Best Director, Dramatic Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Writing, Original Screenplay
Best Writing, Adapted Story
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Engineering Effects
Best Writing, Title Writing
An honorary award went to Charlie Chaplin "for versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing, and producing his film The Circus."
###
1975 - Junko Tabei summits Mount Everest — the first woman to do so.
The first American woman would accomplish the feat in 1988.
###
2005 – Sony announces its newest gaming platform, the PlayStation 3. It would not hit shelves for another year, however.
It was popular until the release of the XBOX.
###
2019 - The final episode of the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” airs.
The show, starring Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons, ran for 12 seasons, and spawned a spinoff series called “Young Sheldon.”
###
BIRTHDAYS
Grayson Chrisley - reality star, “Chrisley Knows Best” - 18
Cole Sillinger - hockey player - 21
Miles Heizer - actor, “Parenthood” - 30
Atticus Mitchell - actor, “My Babysitter’s a Vampire” - 31
Thomas Brodie-Sangster - actor, “Game of Thrones” - 34
Behati Prinsloo - model - 36
Megan Fox - actress, “Transformers” & “Jennifer’s Body” - 38
Joseph Morgan - actor, “The Originals” - 43
Tori Spelling - actress, “Beverly Hills, 90210” - 51
Tucker Carlson - journalist - 55
Janet Jackson - pop singer - 58
Krist Novoselic - bassist, Nirvana - 59
Pierce Brosnan - actor, “James Bond” - 71
Danny Trejo - actor, “From Dusk Till Dawn” - 80
Born On This Date
Liberace - pianist, “The Liberace Show” - 1919 (d. 1987)
Henry Fonda - actor, “Mr. Roberts” & “12 Angry Men” - 1905 (d. 1982)
H. H. Holmes - serial killer - 1861 (d. 1896)
David Edward Hughes - invented the microphone & teleprinter - 1831 (d. 1900)
William H. Seward - Secretary of State & Gov. of New York - 1801 (d. 1872)
###